Steam purifier



Jan. 24,1956 E. E. COULTER 2,732,028

STEAM PURIFIER Filed Jan. 6, 1953 INVENTOR. [4m 5 Caz/z 7-5/2 4 T TOR/V5) water.

lower edge by a clamp plate 32 which extends longitudinally of the drum to enclose the row of scrubbers, and projects downwardly below the upper edge of the separators 22. The lower end of the clamp plate 32 is spaced from a parallel member 33 by a flat bar 35 which is provided with a spaced series of ports 36 therein for the discharge of wash water from the lower end of the scrubbers 30. The upper edge of the scrubbers 30, adjacent the wall of the drum 10, is supported by an upstanding member 37, having an inclined plate shoulder portion 38 and an upright upper end portion attached to a horizontally disposed shelf 40. The shelf 40 is positioned intermediate the height of the scrubbers 30 and defines the bottom of a wash water reservoir 41.

Wash water, which is obtained from an external source, enters one end of the drum through a pipe 42, which extends longitudinally of the upper portion of the drum 10. From the entrance pipe 42, branch connecting pipes 43 extend horizontally toward the wall of the drum and connect to distributors 46 each of which is of a length equal to the length of the individual scrubber element 30. Each distributor 46 is provided with a spaced series of apertures 47 in the wall thereof which project jets of water in a generally horizontal direction against a curved deflector 50 which extends from a juncture with an inclined bafile 51 attached to the upper side of the distributor 46 to a position merging with the shelf 40. A baffle plate 52 is attached to the lower side of the distributor 46 and extends downwardly and toward the drum wall to direct the water discharged from the distributor 46 toward the shelf 40. The structure described provides a distributed flow of wash water to a series of reservoirs 41 positioned adjacent the outer edge of the scrubbers 30. End plates 53 separate each of the reservoirs 41 and the corresponding scrubbers 30 from the adjacent reservoirs and scrubbers.

The wash water discharges from the reservoir 41 over a distributor 54 to the plates 31 of the scrubber 30. The distributor may be formed from a threaded pipe, which is longitudinally cut along the axis thereof, with one edge welded to the shelf 40 and the other edge positioned adjacent the edge of plates 31, intermediate the height of the scrubber. The distributor is located in a level position so that the inner apex of each thread on the pipe is in alignment with a plate 31. Thus, the threaded pipe of the distributor forms a plurality of weirs corresponding with the plates of the scrubber.

With the distributor 54 positioned near the top of the scrubber plates 31, the wash water will flow in film form along the surfaces of the plates to the lower discharge end of the scrubber. The upper surfaces of the corrugated plates serves as a separator for any large drops of moisture entrained by the steam passing through the lower wetted wall portion of the scrubber. The drops collected on the scrubber surfaces also fiow downwardly along the plates to the discharge end of the scrubber.

The wash water may originate as steam condensate obtained from a closed feed water heater included in the steam generator and turbine installation. Under such circumstances the wash water will be of high purity. Alternately, the wash water may originate in the boiler feed Under these circumstances the wash water will not be as pure, but will have a higher purity than that of the water in the steam and water drum of the boiler. With the wash water having a higher degree of purity than the moisture in the steam passing in intimate surface contact therewith, the steam will be effectively washed and its quality improved by the absorption of the contaminants into the wash water.

The wash water and the impurities therein discharge from. the lower end of the scrubbers 30 into a trough 55 which is disposed longitudinally of the drum adjacent the upper portion of the separators 22. The trough 55 is defined by the member 33, and a flat bottom plate 56 which is connected on opposite edges with member 33 and an upwardly inclined plate 57. The opposite ends of the trough 55 are closed, so that a pool of water is maintained in the trough to the height of the upper edge of the plate 57. The overflow of wash water from the trough, with the impurities therein, discharges to the water space of the drum 10.

The steam passing from the separators 22 and the inverted perforated pyramids 26 through the scrubbers 30 to the steam outlet tubes 12 will be of an advantageously high purity. To attain the advantageous effects of the scrubbers 39, all of the steam discharged through the tubes 12 should pass through the scrubbers. This is accomplished by fluid tight dividing means positioned within the drum to separate the drum steam space so that the steam discharging to the outlet tubes 12 is separated from the main steam space of the drum directly above the water level 25. The fluid tight dividing means includes an angle shaped member 60 having its upper leg portion attached to a depending flange 61 which is welded to the inner surface of the drum 1%) on the side of the steam discharge tubes 12 opposite to the row of separators 22, and having its horizontally extended leg portion welded to an upright member 62 projecting downwardly into the trough 55. The lower edge of the member 62 is spaced from the bottom 56 of the trough and is submerged in the pool of wash water maintained in the trough. The parts 60 and 61 of the dividing means extend longitudinally of the drum through the intermediate length thereof, while the member 62 extends substantially the full longitudinal length of the drum. At the opposite ends of the member 60, the member 62 extends upwardly as shown in dotted lines in Fig. l to intersect a depending plate 63 which is welded thereto and attached to the upper surface of the drum 10 above the scrubbers 30.

A transverse plate 64 connects the members 60, 61 and 63, while separate transverse plates (not shown) are positioned adjacent the ends of the drum to close the drum space defined by a segment of the drum 10, the base plate 27 and the members 62 and 63.

The space 65 above the scrubbers 30 will be at a lower pressure than the drum space 66 and the water level in the trough 55 on the scrubber side of the member 62 will be higher than on the opposite side. However, the pressure difference between the steam spaces 65 and 66 will be small, compared with the total pressure in the drum. The steam vents 67 connect the drum with the customary safety valves, such as valve 69 shown in Fig. 1A, which are positioned adjacent the ends of the drum and open directly into the space 66. With the opening of the safety valves the differential pressure between the spaces 65 and 66 will be suflicient to break the water seal of the trough, so that the space 65 would also be vented.

In the operation of the apparatus described, the steam and water mixture discharged from the steam generating tubes 11 passes through the chamber 14 into the rows of cyclonic separators 22. The water separated in the separators is discharged through the outlets 23 while the steam is discharged upwardly through the pyramids 26 into the scrubbers 30. Substantially, all of the water is removed from the steam by the separators 24 and pyramids 34, but any moisture retained with the steam may be laden with contaminating matter. The wash water films passing over the plates 31 of the scrubber 30 are intimately contacted by the steam passing in a sinuous path between the plates, with the Wash water films thereon capturing the contaminating matter by adhesion and absorption. The wash water, with captured contaminants, discharges from the scrubbers 30 into the trough 55 and thence by overflow over the plate 57 into the steam space 66 of the drum.

While in accordance with the provisions of the statutes I have illustrated and described herein a preferred embodiment of the invention, those skilled in the art will understand that changes may be made in the form of the apparatus disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention covered by my claims, and that cer tain features of the invention may sometimes be used to advantage without a corresponding use of other features.

What is claimed is:

I. In a vapor generator, a drum having an upper vapor space and a lower liquid space and having inlet means for a vapor and liquid mixture and separate outlets for vapor and liquid, vapor and liquid separating means within said drum and having a vapor discharge opening to the vapor space and a liquid discharge opening to the liquid space of said drum, partition means for dividing the vapor space of said drum into compartments, safety valve means in said drum, at least one of said compartments opening to said vapor outlet and at least one compartment opening to said safety valve means, and liquid seal means connected with said partition means, the opening of said safety valve means breaking said liquid seal means and interconnecting all of said compartments.

2. In a vapor generator, a drum having an upper vapor space and a lower liquid space and having inlet means for a vapor and liquid mixture and separate outlets for vapor and liquid, vapor and liquid separating means within said drum and having a vapor discharge opening to the vapor space and a liquid discharge opening to the liquid space of said drum, partition means for dividing the vapor space of said drum into compartments, safety valve means in said drum, at least one of said compartments including said vapor and liquid separating means and the vapor space communicating with said vapor outlets, at least one of said compartments communicating with the liquid space of said drum and to said safety valve means, and a liquid seal connected with said partition means, the opening of said safety valve means breaking said liquid seal and interconnecting all of said compartments.

3. In a vapor generator, a drum having an upper vapor space and alower liquid space and having inlet means for a vapor and liquid mixture and separate outlets for vapor and liquid, vapor and liquid separating means Within said drum and having a vapor discharge opening to the vapor space and a liquid discharge opening to the liquid space of said drum, partition means for dividing the vapor space of said drum into compartments, safety valve means in said drum, at least one of said compartments including said vapor and liquid separating means and the vapor space communicating with said vapor outlets, at least one of said compartments communicating with the liquid space of said drum and to said safety valve means, and liquid seal means including liquid containing means with the lower edges of said partition means submerged in the liquid therein, the opening of said safety valve means breaking said liquid seal means and interconnecting all of said compartments.

4. In a vapor generator, a drum having an upper vapor space and a lower liquid space and having inlet means for a vapor and liquid mixture and separate outlets for vapor and liquid, vapor and liquid separating means within said drum and having a vapor discharge opening to the vapor space and a liquid discharge opening to the liquid space of said drum, partition means for dividing the vapor space of said drum into compartments, safety valve means in said drum, at least one of said compartments including said vapor and liquid separating means and the vapor space communicating with said vapor outlets, at least one of said compartments communicating with the liquid space of said drum and to said safety valve means, and liquid seal means positioned adjacent the upper edge of said vapor and liquid separating means and including liquid containing means with the lower edges of said partition means submerged in the liquid therein.

5: Ina steam boiler, a horizontally elongated steam and water drum having an inlet for a steam and water mixture and separate outlets for steam and water, steam and water separating means, means for washing said steam by contact between wash liquid and the steam discharging from said separating means, partition means for dividing the steam space of said drum into compartments, safety valve means in said drum, at least one of said compartments including said steam and water separating means and said Washing means and opening to said steam outlet and at least one other compartment including said water space and opening to said safety valve means, and water seal means connected with said partition means including a water seal replenished by water from said washing means.

6. In a steam boiler, a horizontally elongated steam and water drum having an inlet for a steam and water mixture and separate outlets for steam and water, steam and water separating means within said drum and having a steam outlet to the steam space and a water outlet to the water space of said drum, washing means for direct contact between wash water and the substantially dry steam discharging from said separating means, safety valve means in said drum, partitions dividing the steam space of said drum into compartments, a compartment intermediate the length of said drum containing said steam and water separating means and said washing means and opening to said steam outlet, at least one compartment adjacent an end of said drum opening to said water space and to said safety valve means, and water sealing means for said partitions comprising a trough Within said drum positioned adjacent the upper portion of said separating means and arranged to receive the Wash water discharging from the lower edges of said washing means, and the lower edge of said partitions submerged in the water in said trough.

7. In a steam boiler a horizontally enlongated steam and water drum having an inlet for a steam and water mixture and separate outlets for steam and water, cyclone means for separating the steam and Water entering said drum, washing means for washing said steam by contact between Wash water and the substantially dry steam discharging from said cyclone separating means, and dividing means in the steam space of said drum for separating the flow path from said steam and water cyclone separating means through said washing means to said steam outlet from the water space of said drum comprising a plate member in the upper portion of said drum with its lower edge submerged in a water seal defined by a trough containing water positioned adjoining the upper portion of said cyclone means and arranged to receive the Wash water discharging from the lower end of said washing means.

8. In a steam boiler, a horizontally elongated steam and water drum having an inlet for a mixture of steam and water and separate steam and water outlets, steam and water separating means within said drum, a plurality of upright corrugated plates inclined downwardly toward the axis of said drum and positioned upwardly adjacent the steam outlet from said steam and water separating means, a trough extending longitudinally of said drum and positioned at the lower edge of said inclined corrugated plates, means for forming a film of water on said inclined corrugated plates with the Water leaving said plates flowing into said trough, and partition means positioned in the upper portion of said drum and having its lower edges submerged in the water in said trough and its upper edge attached to said drum.

9. In a steam boiler, a horizontally disposed steam and Water drum having upper outlet means for steam and lower outlet means for water, a row of cyclonic steam and water separators disposed along a longitudinal side of said drum intermediate the height thereof, and having an outlet in the upper portion thereof for the upward discharge of substantially dry steam therefrom, means for 7 tangentially delivering steam and Water mixture to said cyclonic separators, a Washer positioned above the steam outlet from said cyclonic separators for direct contact between a Wash water and the steam discharging from said cyclonic separators, a trough extending longitud- 5 inally of said drum adjacent the upper portion of the row of cyclonic separators and arranged to receive the wash water discharging from the lower edge portion of the washer, and a plate member positioned in the upper portion of said drum with its upper edge attached to said 10 drum and its lower edges submerged in the wash water within said trough.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

